Andrea Fischer

(03) 8344 3406 | andrea.fischer@unimelb.edu.au

Position:: Chief Operating Officer
Theme(s):: Viral Infectious Diseases
Discipline(s):: Global Health, Indigenous Health, Public Health
Unit(s):: Doherty Directorate

For over 15 years, Andrea has worked in the development and implementation of public health programs in the Asia-Pacific region. After graduating from the Australian National University in Population Health and Epidemiology, she completed a Masters of Public Health at Monash University. Andrea’s first international assignment was in India, working on primary health care activities in Andhra Pradesh. Following this she specialised in HIV prevention working in China, Vietnam, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, primarily for the Burnet Institute. Prior to her role at the Doherty Institute, Andrea was the Executive Officer for the International AIDS Conference held in Melbourne in July, 2014. As Chief Operating Officer at the Doherty Institute, Andrea is responsible for the development of the identity, strategic programs and corporate governance.

Key Achievements

Key Achievements
- Andrea’s key career achievements include working on programs for people who use drugs across the Asia-Pacific region and involvement in some of the region’s first harm reduction programs. In Papua New Guinea, she directed a large-scale HIV prevention program working across 36 sites. Andrea pioneered alcohol and other drug programs in Papua New Guinea, highlighting the role the use of alcohol and other drugs played in the health and development of Pacific communities and advocating for the implementation of harm reduction based interventions. Leading the Burnet Institute’s program in Papua New Guinea and increasing engagement between research activities and public health programming was a career highlight, as was the success of AIDS 2014.

Full University of Melbourne profile